Fire-devastated Hoboken Charter School to reopen in Jersey City Heights

HOBOKEN -- The Hoboken Charter School's K-8 program will resume classes Tuesday at the former St. Anne's School building at 255 Congress St. in the Jersey City Heights, the school's principal has announced on the school's website.

Following a meeting Wednesday night at Our Lady of Grace Church, the board approved her recommendation to reopen at the old St. Anne's, which is 1.6 miles from the current location, Principal Deidra Grode states on the website.

"We will occupy 28,000 square feet of space -- more than double the size of what we utilized at 713 Washington Street. Existing rooms and amenities include a gym, multi-purpose room, and rooms to maintain music and art with integrity," Grode states.

"We will replicate all services previously provided at 713 Washington at our new location, including but not limited to school lunch, aftercare, enrichment programs, our drama and Artsbridge programs, service-learning events and athletics. The multi-purpose room can be utilized for PA meetings, assemblies and drama club rehearsals while PE will be offered on-site, removing the loss of instructional time during transport."

Grode says the board, parent leaders, and school officials are "acutely aware of how the new location will impact parents' schedules and ability to bring their children to school."

To that end, the school is working on plans to provide bussing from one central location in Hoboken to the St. Anne's facility, she states.

There will be one morning pick-up and two afternoon drop-offs, one immediately following school dismissal and the other at the conclusion of after-school programming, she adds.
Hoboken Charter School's high school at Fourth and Garden streets was not affected by the fire.

The fire on Washington Street started on the school's second floor. There were no injuries. Fire officials have not said what caused the blaze.